Overview

 

A brain tumour is an abnormal cell growth or mass in the brain. There are many different types of brain tumours. Some brain tumours are benign (noncancerous), while others are cancerous (malignant). Brain tumours can start in the brain (primary brain tumours) or spread from other parts of the body to the brain (secondary  or metastatic brain tumors).

 

The rate at which a brain tumour grows varies greatly. The rate of growth and location of a brain tumour determine how it will affect the nervous system's function. We help you connect with the best cancer surgeon in Indore (M.P). Best oncologist in Indore.

 

The type of brain tumour you have, as well as its size and location, influence your treatment options. Below is the list of brain cancer:

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1.Acoustic neuroma

2. Astrocytoma

3. Metastases in the brain

4. Carcinoma of the choroid plexus

5. Craniopharyngioma

6. Ependymoma

7. Glioblastoma

8. Glioma

9. Medulloblastoma

10. Meningioma

11. Oligodendroglioma

12. Tumors of the brain in children

13. Pineoblastoma

14. Pituitary tumours are a type of tumour that affects the pituitary gland

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Symptoms:

The signs and symptoms of a brain tumour differ greatly depending on the size, location, and rate of growth of the tumour. Brain tumours can cause a variety of signs and symptoms, including:

 

• New onset of headaches or a shift in the pattern of headaches

• Headaches that become more frequent and severe over time

• Experiencing unexplained nausea or vomiting

• Blurry vision, double vision, or loss of peripheral vision are all examples of vision problems.

• Loss of sensation or movement in an arm or leg over time

• Having trouble balancing

• Speech impediments

• Changes in personality or behavior

• Seizures, especially in someone who has never had a seizure before.

• Problems with hearing

 

When should you see a doctor?

 

If you have persistent signs and symptoms that concern you, schedule an appointment with your doctor.

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Causes:

Primary brain tumours develop in the brain or nearby tissues, such as the meninges (brain covering membranes), cranial nerves, pituitary gland, or pineal gland. Normal cells acquire errors (mutations) in their DNA, resulting in primary brain tumours. These mutations allow cells to divide and grow at a faster rate, allowing them to live when healthy cells would die. As a result, a tumour is formed from a mass of abnormal cells. Primary brain tumours are far less common in adults than secondary brain tumours, which are cancers that start elsewhere and spread to the brain. Primary brain tumours come in a variety of shapes and sizes. The type of cells involved gives each of them its name. Here are some examples:

 

• Gliomas. Astrocytomas, ependymomas, glioblastomas, oligoastrocytomas, and oligodendrogliomas are tumours that start in the brain or spinal cord.

• Meningiomas. A meningioma is a type of tumour that develops in the membranes that surround your brain and spinal cord (meninges). The majority of meningiomas are benign.​

• Acoustic neuromas  (schwannomas). These are benign tumours that form on the nerves that control balance and hearing in the inner ear and lead to the brain.

• Adenomas of the pituitary gland. The pituitary gland, located at the base of the brain, is home to the majority of these benign tumours. These tumours can affect pituitary hormones, which can have far-reaching consequences throughout the body 

• Medulloblastomas. The most common cancerous brain tumours in children are these. A medulloblastoma is a type of brain tumour that begins in the lower back of the brain and spreads through the spinal fluid. Adults are less likely to develop these tumours, but they do happen.

• Craniopharyngiomas. These noncancerous tumours begin near the pituitary gland in the brain, which secretes hormones that regulate a variety of body functions. The pituitary gland and other structures near the brain may be affected as the craniopharyngioma grows.

 

Cancer that starts in another part of the body and spreads to the brain. Secondary (metastatic) brain tumours are tumours that develop after cancer spreads (metastasizes) from another part of your body to your brain. People with a history of cancer are more likely to develop secondary brain tumours. A metastatic brain tumour, on the other hand, may be the first sign of cancer that started elsewhere in your body in rare cases.

 

Secondary brain tumours are much more common in adults than primary brain tumours. Any cancer can spread to the brain, but the following are the most common:

 

1. Breast cancer

2. Colon cancer

3. Kidney cancer

4. Lung cancer

 

Risk Factors

 

The cause of primary brain tumours is unknown in the majority of cases. However, doctors have discovered some factors that may increase your chances of developing a brain tumour. The following are some of the risk factors:

 

a) Radiation exposure - Ionizing radiation has been linked to an increased risk of brain tumour in people who have been exposed to it. Radiation therapy for cancer patients and atomic bomb radiation exposure are both examples of ionising radiation.

 

b) Brain tumours run in the family. People with a family history of brain tumours or genetic syndromes that increase the risk of brain tumours account for a small percentage of brain tumours.

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Diagnosis:

If a brain tumour is suspected, your doctor may recommend a variety of tests and procedures, including:

n examination of the nervous system. A neurological exam may include testing your vision, hearing, balance, coordination, strength, and reflexes, among other things. Difficulty in one or more areas could indicate which part of your brain is being affected by a brain tumour.

 

Imaging examinations. Brain tumours are frequently diagnosed using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). During your MRI study, a dye may be injected into a vein in your arm in some cases. Functional MRI, perfusion MRI, and magnetic resonance spectroscopy are some of the specialised MRI scan components that can help your doctor evaluate the tumour and plan treatment.

 

Other imaging tests, such as computerised tomography, are sometimes recommended (CT). Although positron emission tomography (PET) can be used for brain imaging, it is not as effective at creating images of brain cancer as it is for other cancers.

 

Tests to see if cancer has spread to other parts of your body. If your doctor suspects that your brain tumour is the result of cancer that has spread from another part of your body, tests and procedures to determine where the cancer started may be recommended. A CT or PET scan to look for signs of lung cancer is one example. Taking a sample of abnormal tissue and testing it (biopsy). A biopsy can be done as part of a surgical procedure to remove the brain tumour, or it can be done with a needle.

 

For brain tumours in hard-to-reach areas or very sensitive areas of the brain that might be damaged by a more extensive operation, a stereotactic needle biopsy may be used. A small hole is drilled into your skull by your neurosurgeon. The hole is then pierced with a thin needle. The needle is used to remove tissue, and it is frequently guided by CT or MRI scanning.

 

A microscope is used to examine the biopsy sample to see if it is cancerous or benign. Advanced laboratory tests can provide your doctor with information about your prognosis and treatment options.

 

Treatment:

Treatment for a brain tumour is determined by the tumor's type, size, and location, as well as your general health and preferences.

 

1) Surgery

 

If the brain tumour is in a location where an operation can be performed, your surgeon will try to remove as much of the tumour as possible.

 

Tumors can be small and easy to separate from surrounding brain tissue in some cases, allowing for complete surgical removal. Other times, tumours can't be separated from surrounding tissue or are near sensitive areas of the brain, making surgery dangerous. Your doctor will remove as much of the tumour as is safe in these cases.

 

Even removing a portion of your brain tumour could help you feel better.

 

Infection and bleeding can occur during surgery to remove a brain tumour. Other risks may vary depending on where your tumour is located in your brain. Surgery on a tumour near nerves that connect to your eyes, for example, may result in vision loss.

 

Scarless Brain Surgery with Minimal Invasiveness

 

Awake brain surgery is a specialty of some neurosurgeons. The procedure, which is only available in a few medical centres across the country, is used to help people who have been diagnosed with an inoperable brain tumour. The surgical team can safely remove the tumour with a low risk of serious complications.

 

Patients who have their brain tumours removed using these advanced techniques often have shorter hospital stays, faster recovery times, and a lower expected mortality rate. Because neurosurgeons collaborate with brain imaging specialists (neuroradiologists) and use advanced surgical navigation and mapping equipment, they are able to perform these precise and difficult surgeries. They can see the exact location of the tumour as well as the surgical path to it.

 

2) Radiation therapy

 

To kill tumour cells, radiation therapy uses high-energy beams such as X-rays or protons. Radiation therapy can come from a machine outside your body (external beam radiation), or it can be placed inside your body close to your brain tumour in very rare cases (internal beam radiation) (brachytherapy).

External beam radiation can target only the area of your brain where the tumour is, or it can cover your entire brain (whole-brain radiation). Whole-brain radiation is most commonly used to treat cancer that has spread to the brain from another part of the body and has resulted in multiple tumours.

 

Proton beams, a newer form of radiation therapy, is being researched for use in people with brain tumours. Proton therapy may reduce the risk of side effects associated with radiation for tumours that are very close to sensitive areas of the brain. However, proton therapy has not been shown to be more effective than traditional X-ray radiation therapy.

 

Radiation therapy side effects vary depending on the type and dose of radiation you receive. Fatigue, headaches, memory loss, and scalp irritation are all common side effects during or immediately after radiation.

 

Radiosurgery:

 

In the traditional sense, stereotactic radiosurgery is not a type of surgery. Instead, radiosurgery employs multiple radiation beams to deliver a highly focused form of treatment that kills tumour cells in a very small area. Each radiation beam isn't particularly powerful, but the point where they all meet — at the brain tumour — receives a massive dose of radiation that kills the tumour cells.

 

A Gamma Knife or a linear accelerator are two types of technology used in radiosurgery to deliver radiation to treat brain tumours.

 

Radiosurgery is usually completed in a single treatment, and you can usually return home the same day.

 

3) Chemotherapy

 

Chemotherapy is a treatment that uses drugs to kill tumour cells. Chemotherapy drugs can be taken as pills or injected directly into a vein (intravenously). The chemotherapy drug temozolomide (Temodar), which is taken as a pill, is the most commonly used to treat brain tumours. There are a variety of other chemotherapy drugs that can be used depending on the type of cancer.

 

The type and dose of drugs you receive during chemotherapy have an impact on the side effects you experience. Chemotherapy can cause nausea, vomiting, and hair loss, among other side effects.

 

Chemotherapy may be beneficial for you based on tests of your brain tumour cells. The type of brain tumour you have can also influence whether or not chemotherapy is recommended.

 

4) Drug therapy with a specific goal

 

Targeted drug treatments are designed to target specific abnormalities found in cancer cells. Targeted drug treatments can kill cancer cells by blocking these abnormalities.

 

Certain types of brain tumours have targeted therapy drugs available, and many more are being studied in clinical trials. Targeted therapy is being developed in a variety of ways.

 

Following treatment, rehabilitation is required.

 

Because brain tumours can form in areas of the brain that control motor skills, speech, vision, and thought, rehabilitation may be required as part of the recovery process. Your doctor may refer you to the following services, depending on your needs:

 

Physical therapy to help you regain motor skills or muscle strength if you've lost them.

 

After a brain tumour or other illness, occupational therapy can help you return to your normal daily activities, including work.

 

If you have trouble speaking, speech therapy with specialists in speech difficulties (speech pathologists) can help.

 

Tutoring for school-aged children to help them cope with memory and thinking changes caused by a brain tumour.

 

5) Complementary and alternative medicine

 

Complementary and alternative brain tumour treatments have received little research. Alternative treatments for brain tumours have not been proven to be effective. Complementary treatments, on the other hand, may be able to help you cope with the stress of a brain tumour diagnosis.

 

The following are some complementary treatments that may help you cope:

 

• Acupuncture

• Exercise

• Meditation

• Music is used as a form of therapy.

• Relaxation techniques

 

Coping and assistance

 

A brain tumour diagnosis can be frightening and overwhelming. It can make you feel helpless in the face of your health. You can, however, take steps to manage the shock and grief that may accompany your diagnosis. Consider attempting:

 

Learn enough about brain tumours so that you can make informed decisions about your treatment. Inquire with your doctor about your specific type of brain tumour, as well as treatment options and, if desired, prognosis. You may gain confidence in making treatment decisions as you learn more about brain tumours.

 

Maintain a close relationship with your friends and family. Maintaining strong close relationships will assist you in dealing with your brain tumour. Friends and family can help you with practical things like taking care of your house while you're in the hospital. They can also provide emotional support when you're dealing with cancer.

 

Find someone with whom you can converse. Find a good listener who is willing to hear you out about your fears and hopes. This could be a family member or a friend. A counsellor, medical social worker, clergy member, or cancer support group's concern and understanding may also be beneficial.